The Tagus fishermen of Alves Redol

After the train journey, there’s a boat trip on the Tagus, in the company of unique vegetation. By Catarina Tagaio.

After a train journey of just over half an hour to Reguengo, a transfer was waiting to take her to a boat journey along the Tagus through the midst of unique vegetation, 'Lusitano' horses, white storks , cormorants, woodcocks, kingfishers and ospreys.

As soon as she arrived at the village of Escaroupim, there was a glass of locally produced wine and a guided visit with a stop at the Avieiro Museum, followed by a lovely lunch at the 'Restaurante Escaroupim'. If you have a look at the photos, you'll see Catarina get a really warm welcome!

Here are the pictures of a Culture&Nature trip you can do with friends or your children, who we leave this little bit of background for:

“In the early 20th century, hunger drove the fishermen from Praia da Vieira, near Marinha Grande, to go in search of food as the rough seas in winter left them in dire straits. They sailed up the river Tagus and found this stretch full of fish. At first, they just came seasonally and left their boats here. Later, they settled in this part of the country with their families and swapped sea fishing for fresh water fishing once and for all. The owners of the land along the river banks let them settle on the banks of the Tagus, and they began to build the first wooden huts on the top of stilts, roofing them with reeds. They now used the stilts they had on the dunes beside the sea to ensure the river floods didn't reach their homes. Portuguese writer Alves Redol stayed for some months in this part of the country, in Aldeia da Palhota to be more exact, gathering ideas for his novel “Avieiros”.